What is the best .25 ACP defensive ammo?

This is a discussion on What is the best .25 ACP defensive ammo? within the Defensive Ammunition & Ballistics forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; The title says it all.
I recently aquired a Colt .25 ACP Semi-Auto from my Father and was wondering what the best ammo would be ...

What is the best .25 ACP defensive ammo?

I recently aquired a Colt .25 ACP Semi-Auto from my Father and was wondering what the best ammo would be should i decide to carry the gun concealed.

Knowing nothing of the round, I turn to you! Its like that life-line "poll the audience" off of "Who wants to be a Millionare"...

Thanks to all who reply.

Ummm... for all the arm chair commandoes replying how weak the round is and how they would never carry it... the question was whats the best ammunition to shot from the gun (an awesome gun at that; Colt Model 1908 hammerless w/ type 1 grips), not personal philosophy of use. I have a G23, G30, .38, etc. for a primary. I dont need the obvious stated, expecially after the first 50 times or so. But Thanks! to all who took the question seriously and provided info. I appreciate it.

If you're going to carry that I would recommend the most reliable ball ammo you can find. It is too underpowered for JHP rounds to be able to both penetrate enough and expand, so you'll want to go for the penetration.

If you're going to carry that I would recommend the most reliable ball ammo you can find. It is too underpowered for JHP rounds to be able to both penetrate enough and expand, so you'll want to go for the penetration.

Better off to carry a baseball bat. Kinda hard to conceal tho. If you shot someone with that thing it would probably make the guy mad enough to hurt you REALLY bad.

.... a nice red brick is more concealable... although you might get:
"Is that a brick in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

IMO: They are fine guns and very fun to shoot (ammo is cheap) and for what it's worth I'd rather have it over not having a gun at all. However, since one went thru all the trouble to obtain a CC license that alone gives you the choice of what you'd want to defend your life with. As a CCW you want a caliber that will STOP the immediate threat, because you may only just have 1 shot. That is certainly not a .22-.25 cal.

I do not recommend a .25 acp for defensive work. That said I have a Beretta 950 that I have had for quite a few years now. I still use it as a BUG sometimes and it is loaded with Hornady 35 grain XTP/HP which it feeds flawlessly. When I practice with this little gun I fire 5 round strings into the neck and head area of my targets.. My Glock 23 is my primary. A .25 acp is just to anemic to trust your life with.

Having said that, this is still one of my favourite Jeff Cooper quotes........

Of the .25 Auto, firearms great Jeff Cooper once famously quipped, "... carry a 25 if it makes you feel good, but do not ever load it. If you load it you may shoot it. If you shoot it you may hit somebody, and if you hit somebody - and he finds out about it - he may be very angry with you."

Police Defensive Tactics, Firearms, Carbine Rifle and Taser Instructor
Glock Armorer
NRA Life MemberIt is better to have your gun and not need it, than to need it and not have it!You cannot choose the conditions for a gunfight, so train in all conditions!

"Although the .22 is slightly more powerful when fired from equal length short barrels..."

Saw this statement in the Ask.com link. This is debatable. Actual chronograph testing with both .22 Long Rifle and .25 ACP pistols sharing the same barrel length doesn't bear this out. The .25 ACP actually will be "more powerful" on paper. It offers all the "power" of the .22 Long Rifle when fired in a 2-inch barrel plus the extra "umph" equal to that of a thrown mosquito leg.